Christmas card stands



J. R. WITTICK 2,913,843

CHRISTMAS cm smms Nov. 24, 1959 Filodjlaroh 26, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q FIG. I I I 2 nwawron JOSEPH 2., W/TTICK A TZ'ORNEY J. R. WlTTlCK CHRISTMAS CARD STANDS Nov. 24, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 26. 1959 FIG. 2

INVENTOR JOSEPH P. WITT/CK 2,913,843 CHRISTMAS CARDSTANDS Joseph R. Wittick, Toronto, Ontario, Canada Application March 26, 1959, Serial No. 802,175

'6 Claims. c1. 40-124 My invention relates to improvements in stands primarily intended for holding Christmas cards, and has for United States Patent its object to provide a stand for indoor use by which "a recipient of Christmas cards or other greeting cards may mount them on the stand fordisplay purposes. A distinctive-feature of the stand is that it comprises a plurality of connected rods each supplied with a series of spring bight element to a 'lower end where the component legs are 'detachably connected to a base. A still further feature is that one of the rod members is supplied with a retaining loop device providing an opening at its bight element in which the bight element of the other rod member is engaged loosely so as to form a detachable connection by which the tips of the rod members are held captive with the legs spread. Desirably a foldable base, made up of rod members, is detachably connected to the lower ends of the legs so that the base may be detached for enabling the stand to be folded and compactly stored'when not in use.

A distinctive feature of the construction resides in the specific arrangement of the folding base and the means employed for enabling the rod members to be detachably connected to the base. A further distinctive feature resides in the novel construction and arrangement of the clips for holding the-cards. m

The stand of my invention is simple in construction and inexpensive to manufacture.

Having described the major objects and advantages of my invention subsidiary objects and advantages will appear from the ensuing specification of the selected embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a card stand constructed in accordance with my invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the stand taken on line 22 of Fig. 1 and showing in phantom lines how the legs are detached from the base and fold inwardly for storage purposes; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view in solid lines of the base portion of the stand in unfolded condition and further depicting the base in folded condition in phantom lines.

In carrying out my invention there is provided a pair of U-shaped rod members, generally indicated at 4, which are detachably connected to the base, generally indicated at 5.

2,913,843 Patented Nov. 1959 "ice I lower end ofthe stand at whichthey are detachably connected to the base 5. The other rod member is'made up of the legs 8 and 9 joined together at their upper ends by the bight'element 10 from which they diverge downwardly to the lower end of the stand where they are detach'ably connected to the base 5. At the upper end or tip of the stand the bight elements 28 and 10 are crossed and supplied with means for retaining the rod members in transverse disposition as depicted in Fig. 1 in which one of the U-shaped rod members resides at right'angles to the other. The retaining means referred to desirably comprises a retaining 'loo'p device, indicated at 11, which isrigid with the bight element of one of said U-shaped rod members and provides an-opening 12 in which the bight element of the other U spring clips, indicated at 14. The spring clips each comprise a pair of incurvate wire members as at 15 arranged in straddling relation with respect to a leg aforesaid and each having a straight shank 16 extending upwardly and outwardly from this leg and secured thereto as by spotwelding or'otherwise at its lower end. The wire members 15 have their curved head parts 17 extending across the leg in contact therewith and joined together. Accordingly, the clips enable cards to be mounted on the legs for display purposes as indicated at C in phantom lines in Fig. 1. s

The mounted cards may be suitably arranged by means of the clips and it will be found that a large number of cards may be placed on the stand for viewing purposes and that very small floor space is taken by the stand in order to display a large number of cards.

The base 5 is formed by a pair of crossed ro'd members 18 which are pivotally connected together medially of their length as at 19 in order that they may 'be folded together to accommodate storage of the stand when it is not required. Each base-forming rod member 18 has downturned floor-engaging feet 20 which maybe rubber as comprising a socket element 21 on the ends of each The U-shaped rod members 4 and the base 5 are of the base-forming rod members 18 with the socket at one end of each base-forming rod member disposed in alignment with the socket element at the other end thereof.

Said socket elements are engaged by latching elements which snugly fit therein and carried by the legs 6, 7, -8 and 9 of the U-shaped members. Said latching elements are preferably formed by short outturned parts 22 at the lower ends of said legs. In practice the lower extremities of the legs are bent outwardly to provide said latching elements.

The companion legs of one of the U-shaped rod members has its latching elements 22 inserted in the sockets 21 on one of the base-forming rod members 18, and likewise the latching elements on the lower ends of the legs of the other U-shaped rod member are engaged in the sockets on the other base-forming rod member 18. This assembly provides a light-in-weight and firm stand assembly for holding and displaying a quantity of cards. It is simple to manufacture and easy to disassemble when not required. To disassemble the stand it is only necessary to press the lower ends of the legs inwardly to detach them from the base. The base can then be folded and the diverging legs of each U-shaped rod member can be pressed together in folded relation as shown in Fig. 2. The separated parts of the stand when folded may be placed in a paste-board tube or the like for storage.

Having thus described a selected embodiment of the invention it will be understood that such changes and modifications may be resorted to as fair they come within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

. What I claim is:

1. A card stand comprising a pair of U-shaped rod members having legs diverging downwardly from a bight element to a lower end, said rod members arranged in relative transverse disposition with their bight elements crossed, a retaining lock device rigid with the bight element of one of said rod members and providing an opening in which the bight element of the other rod member is loosely confined, and longitudinal series of spring clips on the legs of said pair of U-shaped rod members, said clips arranged for holding of cards.

2. A card stand comprising a pair of U-shaped rod members having legs diverging downwardly from a bight element to a lower end, said rod members arranged in relative transverse disposition with their bight elements crossed, a retaining loop device rigid with the bight element' of one of said rod members and providing an opening in which the bight element of the other rod member is loosely confined, a base connected to said pair of U-shaped rod members, and longitudinal seriesof spring clips on the legs of said pair of U-shaped rod members.

3. A card stand comprising a pair of U-shaped' rod members having legs diverging downwardly from a bight element to a lower end, said rod members arranged in relative transverse disposition with their bight elements crossed, a retaining loop device rigid with the bight element of one of said rod members and providing an opening in which the bight element of the other rod member is loosely confined, base-forming rod members connected to the lower ends of said legs of said pair of U-shaped rod members, and longitudinal series of spring clips on the legs of said pair of U-shaped rod members.

4. A card stand comprising a pair of U-shaped rod members having legs diverging downwardly from a bight element to a lower end, said rod members arranged in relative transverse disposition with their bight elements crossed, a retaining loop device rigid with the bight element of one of said rod members and providing an opening in which the bight element of the other rod member is loosely confined, a pair of base-forming rod members pivoted together medially of their length, means providing a detachable connection between the lower ends of said legs of said pair of U-shaped rod members and said pair of base-forming rod members, and longitudinal series of spring clips on the legs of said pair of U-shaped rod members.

5. A card stand comprising a pair of U-shaped rod members having legs diverging downwardly from a bight element to a lower end, said legs having relatively short out-turned parts at said lower end and forming latching elements of a detachable connection, said rod members arranged in relative transverse disposition with their bight elements crossed, a retaining loop device rigid with the bight element of one of said rod members and providing an opening in which the bight element of the other rod member is loosely confined, a pair of base-forming rod members having downturned floor-engaging feet, said base-forming rod members pivoted together medially of their length for folding together, a socket element on the ends of each of said base-forming rod members, the socket element at one end of each base-forming rod member disposed in alignment with the socket element at the other end thereof, each socket element having a said latching element snugly engaged therein and forming therewith said detachable connection, and a longitudinal series of spring clips on each leg of said pair of U-shaped rod members.

6. A card stand comprising a pair of U-shaped rod members having legs diverging downwardly from a bight element to a lower end, said legs having latching elements at said lower end, said rod members arranged in relative transverse disposition with their bight elements crossed, a retaining loop device rigid with the bight element of one of said'rod members and providing an opening in which the bight element of the other rod member is loosely confined, a pair of base-forming rod members having downturned floor-engaging feet, said base-forming rod members pivoted together medially of their length for folding together, a socket element on the end of each of said base-forming rod members, each socket element having a said latching element snugly engaged therein and forming therewith a detachable connection for said base, and longitudinal series of spring clips on the legs of said pair of U-shaped rod members.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 848,975 Cudebec Apr. 2, 1907 1,619,434 Reese Mar. 1, 1927 2,865,122 Clawson Dec. 23, 1958 

